Flush valve



0. F. CULVER Jan. 29, 1952 FLUSH VALVE Filed April 26, 1950 OREN F C ULVER INVENTOR cLa/vlw I I 'i I]. 1 ATTORNEY rosion, or similar causes. while the relatively soft facing on the head of "position. I

A further object is to improve the whole struc- Patented Jan. 29, 1952 v UNITED STATES. PATENT OFFICE FLUSH VALVE Oren F. Culver, Rochester, N. Y. Application April 26,1950, Serial No. 158,272

' 4 Claims.

The present invention relates to valve heads and more particularly to flush valve heads such mounting an integral tapered lower portion having the form of an inverted truncated cone. This latter is arranged to particularly enter and seal the upper and open end of the drain pipe in the water tank in which the flushing assembly is normally submerged. The said open pipe end constitutes the valve seat and is fashioned accordingly. A relatively soft (cork or felt) facing or covering of identical form encases the tapered lower portion of the head in intimate contact therewith throughout, and may be cemented thereto. It is this facing that actually takes coritact with the valve seat and because of the taper,

' adjusts'itself to pipe seats of different diameters 01' sizes within a limited range.

This makes a very durable and widely applicable valve head but it has been discovered in use that it tends to be not completely satisfactory when the valve seat itself is or becomes irregular due to mutilation, sediment in the tank, cor- In such instances,

the old structure is theoretically slightly compensative, it is nevertheless practically unyielding or self adaptive.

It is therefore an object of the present inventhe advantages described in the patent referred to and inherent in the structure there disclosed,

including durability and escape from waterlogging, but adding features contributing to a more l produce a flush valve head retaining all effective seating of the valve under all conditions wear from the valve seat due to inaccurate contact with the latter before it rights itself in proper These and other desirable objects are accomplished by the construction disclosed as an illustrative embodiment of the invention in the following description and in the accompanying drawings forminga part hereof, in which:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a flush. valve head constructed in accordance with and illustrating one embodiment of the present invention;

. Fig, 2 is a side elevation thereof;

Fig. 3 is a central, vertical sectional view showing the head in normal operative position on its seat; and

Fig. 4 is a slightly enlarged fragmentary section showing the seat contacting casing or covering ,in the position it assumes when the head is raised to its inoperative position.

The same reference numerals throughout the several views indicate the same parts.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, ,6 indicates a hemispherical, hollow dome of stiff, thin water-durable material such as copper spun into that shape. Its lower margins are flanged outwardly horizontally at 8. This dome surmounts a lower tapered portion ll], preferably of similar material similarly produced, which has the general form of an inverted, truncated cone. Its upper margin is doubled over at l2 to embrace the flange 8 of the dome and form a water and .air tight seam joining the members to produce a rigid buoyant body.

A wide intermediate zone of the conical lower position I0 is exteriorly uniformly depressed as indicated at I4, and covering and sealing this is a conical facing is of resilient water resistin material, preferably a fairly heavy flexible rubher. ,The upper edge of this facing abuts the seam 8-42 of the body and the adjacent inner surface hugs the outer truly conical surface l8 of the member it adjacent to the depression l4. Similarly, the lower edge of the facing is disposed against the outer surface 20 below the depression M in the member l8, the lower end of which latter inthe plane of truncation presents an opening 22 for the ingress and egress of air and water. At the margin of this opening the material of body member ID is doubled over to form a seam 24 that clinches the inner rim of a washer. 26 preferably also of copper that is dished and flares upwardly at an angle to form a retaining flange to confine and wedge the lower chamfered edge of the rubber facing I 6 against body surface 20. i

There is thus provided on the cone Ill a chamher or recess 28 beneath the facing band l6 which allows the latter to flex back and forth, yielding easily to any irregularity in the valve seat, since the rubber may yield by beam flexure action as well. as by direct compression. The relativeli tight engagement of the rubber sheath or facing with the metal cone above and below the depression I4 also serves to trap air in this depression, at least for a limited time after any given inward of smaller diameters.

fiexure of the rubber facing, so that a pneumatic cushion effect is produced.

The general operation of a buoyant flush valve head is well known to those skilled in the art as disclosed in the prior patent earlier referred to. The'present head, as earlier stated, is shown in Fig. 3 in operative position on the seat 30 of the discharge and tank emptying pipe 32 where it i-saheldby =-the ,pressure of .the'waterabove it. When-.dislodgedfrom the :seat b-y:.raising .the usual stem (not shown) that is screwed into the threaded bushing 34 at the top of dome G, 'i-ts buoyancy raises it high in the body of water, which then rushes down the pipe. But as the water level lowers the head drops back:into,.place to again close the valve, and the valve body is forced tightly against the seat =by its own"weight' and by the downward pressure of the water trapped in the tank above the valve.

It is apparent from an inspection of said Fig. 3 :of the drawings how the valve head of the present invention functions and what a range "at approximately the higher level indicated at A, still within the zone of easy 'flexure or yielding 'of the rubber facing. Werethe pipeof 2%inch' diameter, however, as is sometimes but rather rarely the case-the seat '38 would reach the point B where 'a directrigidbacking forthe facing i6 is provide'dat I8. But although there'is no recess or depression to allow inward "bending-f the rubber facing when engaged "at 'this point by a valve seat of the 2% inch diameter, yet the compressive'resilience of the rubber is still available at this point, and moreover, due to the-larger diameter of "the valve seat, a greater downward pressure or seating pressure on the valve is pro- *duced for a-g'iven hydraulic heado'f water above the valve. Hence for this larger (and rather rare) diameterof valve seat, there is'notso much need for the flexure recess or depression, as there is when the valve 'is used with valve seats Accordingly, even though it may result in "eliminating the inward flexure featurewhen the valveis used with-a largediameter valve seat, it is preferred to extend the shoulder l8 a substantial-distance downf'rom the top edge 'of the 'rubber cone I S, to'insure a permanent tight fit between the "top edge of the rubber cone and the metal backing member, and

to eliminate or greatlyreduce any possibility-that the upper edge of the rubber cone would spring outwardly away from the metal when the ru'bber cone is flexed or displaced inwardly at, say, the

point of engagement of :a valve seat offtheJ-2 inch diameter.

Aside from its securing fu'nction with respect to the facing [6, the dished 'z'washer '26 is protec- 'tive and fends off the Ifacing against unnecessary battering as it also Ttends to .zg uide'xittto its seat.

.of the facingband as-zshown-to :project laterally facing -band 16L 'Whenever.the.rubber facing lGbe'comeS worn or otherwise unfit for use, it may be stripped from the metal ball or body and replaced by another rubber facing member. During removal and replacement operations, the opening at the small :end of the rubber facing may easily be stretched enough to go over the retaining 'llan'gel-s.

It ,is seen from the foregoing disclosure, that the above mentioned objects of the invention are admirably fulfilled. it is to be understood that the foregoing disclosure is given by way of illus- 'trative example only, "rather than by way or limitation, and that without -'departingfrom the invention, "the details "may be "varied within the scope of the appended claims.

What is'claimed is: "-1. A buoyant flush valve head of the character described in which atwo-part hollow rigid body is provided composed er an upper dome having an 'outwa'rdlyflangedlower edge, and "a tapered lower portion in the general formof an inverted truncated cone open at the bottom, wherein the upper edge of the lower portion embraces such 'flangeto form aprojecting seam, and a yielding conical "facing band encircles thelower portion to make contact with -'a valve seat and-has its upper edge whollybelow but abutting theseam, :the latter being wider than the thickness of the adjacent edge of the facing band topproject laterally beyond :the same as a fender protecting said edge on .lateral movements 'of the head.

'2. A'fiush valve head in accordance with claim 1 in which the lower edge ;of the lower body portionis doubled over 'atthe'bottom opening in such portion and a dished washer is secured therein :by itsinner edge, the remainder of the washer being disposed vangularly upward to eniho'llo'w rigid metallicb'ody having .an upper ,part

'2, in which the lowerportion of the body .is provided with an intermediate, encircling, zonal,inward depression as compared with the surfaces of said body portion above and below said zone adjacent'to the upper seam and the lower washer,

respectively. which surfaces constitute "banded areas with which the .'facing band is in .normal permanent contact while out iofinormal contact with "the depressed portion.

'4. A buoyant flush valve (head comprising a of generally domed shape and a lower part of generally frustoeeonical shape with a bottom zone and fa, top zone .substantially .alined with and "forming conical .continuations of each other and "having .an intermediate zone depressed inwardly relatively "to the bottom and top zones throughout asubstantial distance along the 'in- Y v,c'lin'ed .edge of Zthe cone, the inclined edg'eof the inwardly depressed intermediate zone being substantially .parallel to .a line .the cor- ..responding iBdEfiS-Of the undepressed bottom and top .zones, a substantially frusto-sconicalzfacing wband-ofresilient-rubberdike material surrounding and seated on said :frusto-conical part of 'said 2,588,999 5 a metallic body with the upper marginal portion BEFERENCES CITED of said band resting against said top zone or The following references are of record in the said body and with the lower marginal portion of said band resting against said bottom zone me of this patent of said body, the portion of said band which en- 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS circles said depressed intermediate zone of said b r Nam Date body being of substantially uniform thickness 6 57 c u 27, 1912 and lying substantially parallel to S depressed 1,318,989 Guider Oct. 14, 1919 intermediate zone when said band is in its normal 7 579 Bashara, Aug 1 1932 undeflected position, and laterally projecting 10 130 Ka fiman t, 2 1933 means on the body engaging the said top and bottom margins of the facing band to maintain the latter on the lower sloping surfaces of the body.

OREN F. CULVER. w 

